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Req ID 90284 | Chennai, India, ZF Commercial Vehicle Control Systems India Limited Job Description About the Role The Head of Program Purchasing is responsible for leading Program Purchasing activities within the Commercial Vehicle Solutions and Industrial Technology businesses throughout the product lifecycle. The role drives achievement of purchasing, cost, profitability, localization, and launch targets while ensuring supplier readiness and successful execution of customer programs. Acting as the key purchasing interface for regional management, the position collaborates closely with Program Management, Engineering, Operations, and Global Purchasing teams to support business growth, operational excellence, and purchasing transformation. What you can look forward to as Head of Program Purchasing (m/f/d) Lead Program Purchasing activities for regional customers and product programs across Commercial Vehicle Solutions and Industrial Technology. Develop and implement sourcing strategies aligned with regional and global business objectives. Drive purchasing performance related to cost, productivity, localization, profitability, and supplier competitiveness. Lead supplier selection, nomination, negotiation, and sourcing decisions for strategic programs. Ensure supplier readiness and execution of all purchasing deliverables to support successful product launches and industrialization activities. Lead Value Analysis / Value Engineering (VA/VE) initiatives and cost optimization programs throughout the product lifecycle. Establish supplier risk management frameworks and mitigation actions to ensure business continuity. Drive supplier localization and regional sourcing strategies to strengthen resilience and competitiveness. Partner with regional and global stakeholders to achieve business and customer objectives. Lead organizational capability development and mentor purchasing teams to build future leadership pipelines. Represent Purchasing leadership in executive reviews, customer discussions, and strategic decision-making forums. Drive transformation initiatives, process excellence, and procurement digitalization across the region. Your profile as Head of Program Purchasing (m/f/d) Degree in Engineering, Business Administration, Supply Chain Management, or equivalent. Minimum 20+ years of relevant experience in Program Purchasing, Strategic Sourcing, Supplier Management, or Automotive Procurement, including leadership responsibilities. Strong experience in supplier negotiations, cost management, and program delivery. Proven success in leading cross-functional and multicultural teams. Experience working in global matrix organizations with diverse stakeholder groups. Strong commercial acumen and customer-oriented mindset. Knowledge of SAP, eSourcing platforms, procurement analytics, and digital procurement solutions preferred. Demonstrated ability to lead transformation initiatives and drive organizational changes. Be part of our ZF team as Head of Program Purchasing and apply now! Contact Prabanand M K .
Here's where they are and how to stand out in your interviews.
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Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore account for 642 of the open purchasing roles on WorkMundi. If you're looking in those regions, you have real volume to work with. The US has 130 open positions. Check where your target employers are hiring before you apply.
About 59% of purchasing ads are written in English on our board. That's a useful signal: it tells you which postings to prioritize if English is your working language, but it says nothing about whether the job itself requires you to speak it. Read the full job description.
When you interview for purchasing, expect to explain how you've managed a vendor relationship that went wrong. Hiring managers want to hear a concrete example: which vendor, what broke down, and what you did to fix it or end it. They're testing whether you can handle conflict without burning bridges.
The employers posting most are Private Advertiser (43 jobs), Veterans Health Administration (16), zffriedric (11), and avnet (10). These names tell you where volume hiring is happening—worth researching their interview style and culture before you apply.